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Scottish Universities are autonomous institutions and as such, except for controlled subjects, the Scottish Government and Government Ministers do not set a student cap or direct individual universities on the number of funded places for individual subjects, available for eligible Scottish and EU domicile students.

Universities are allocated a finite amount of money and it is for universities themselves to decide how to distribute these places between faculties; the courses they offer; and how many of the total funded places will be available on each course. To give universities additional flexibility in student recruitment, the Scottish Funding Council allows universities to recruit up to 10% above the number of funded places awarded.

The Scottish Government firmly believes that access to university should be based on the ability to learn and not the ability to pay, however there is a need to exert a level of control over the higher education budget, which means that the number of students able to access a funded place is not unlimited. Despite these constraints and the cost of living crisis our investment in university education ensures that Scottish domiciled students benefit from free tuition at our world-class universities in near-record numbers.

This means that, unlike elsewhere in the UK, Scottish students studying in Scotland do not incur additional debt of up to £27,750, and that average student loan debt for Scottish students is the lowest in the UK. Even in an environment of secure investment by the government, we still recognise that we have more to do, and all institutions have to work hard to ensure that students from deprived areas receive opportunities to achieve their potential.

The Scottish Government is committed to accelerating private capital investment to meet our Net Zero targets and capture the economic opportunity the Just Transition represents.

As referred to at the debate held on 14 March on the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee's Inquiry Report on ‘The role of local government and its cross-sectoral partners in financing and delivering a net-zero Scotland’, we are pleased to confirm that we are taking forward plans with local government partners to establish a Climate Intelligence Service for local authorities this year.

The Climate Intelligence Service will provide local authorities with the data, tools and skills to help ensure that they are on the right trajectory for net zero and to embed climate impact into local decision making.

The Scottish Government is planning to bring forward a draft of the next Climate Change Plan before the end of 2023 to set clear asks and responsibilities for all of the main actors on delivering climate policy in support of our climate change targets. We will also bring forward draft Just Transition Plans at the same time.

As part of the work in developing an enhanced framework for action with local government, the Scottish Government will explore co-producing a roadmap with local government partners, setting out the roles and responsibilities of local authorities in delivering net zero as part of the development of the next Climate Change Plan.

Following public consultation in 2019, the Scottish Government strengthened the legislative framework for public bodies’ annual reporting on compliance with their statutory climate change duties. The Climate Change (Duties of Public Bodies: Reporting Requirements) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020 requires public bodies, where applicable, to report their target date for achieving zero direct emissions (scope 1) and, where applicable, their targets for reducing indirect emissions (scopes 2 and 3).

To support the strengthened reporting duties, the Scottish Government and Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) co-developed guidance - Public Sector Leadership on the Global Climate Emergency - published in 2021. Further supplementary guidance and resources to support climate change reporting are available online on the SSN website.

The Scottish Government is working with SSN to co-develop new comprehensive statutory guidance on public bodies’ climate change duties for publication in 2025.

The Climate Intelligence Service, which we plan to establish this year, will provide local authorities with the data, tools and skills to help ensure that they are on the right trajectory for net zero and to embed climate impact into local decision making.

The Scottish Government has recognised the challenge with navigating the net zero funding landscape and we are working to simplify and streamline it through a funding alignment programme that commenced in 2022.

We also published a directory of climate change funding for public sector organisations in August 2022. This helps local authorities and other public bodies to identify funding to support their delivery of net zero. It highlights opportunities in a range of areas including transport, heat and waste and provides key contacts and links to information on accessing the funding. The directory is available on the Sustainable Scotland Network website and will be reviewed this year to ensure the information is up to date and to consider any improvements that can be made to make it easier for local authorities and other public bodies to navigate.

The Scottish Government published its Heat in Buildings Strategy in October 2021, which commits us, subject to legal competence, to introduce new regulations to require all buildings to reach a good level of energy efficiency by 2033, and use zero emissions heating and cooling systems by 2045.

As set out in the Programme for Government, the Scottish Government will consult in detail on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill this year. This will include further detail on how we propose to introduce regulations by 2025 to set minimum standards for energy efficiency equivalent to EPC C across all private housing, with backstop dates of 2028 for private rented sector (PRS) homes and 2033 for owner occupied properties, where cost effective and technically feasible.

All 32 local authorities in Scotland are currently working on producing their first Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES) and Delivery Plan, in line with their statutory duty to publish their first iteration by the end of 2023 and then update them every five years. LHEES will set out the long-term plan for decarbonising heat in buildings and improving energy efficiency across an entire local authority area. LHEES will be the principal mechanism for locally led heat planning and will support local planning, coordination and delivery of the heat transition across Scotland.

To support the development of LHEES the Scottish Government published guidance in October 2022 setting out what is required when developing a Strategy and Delivery Plan. In addition, a methodology, made up of practitioner guidance, models, tools and templates, provides a practical approach that local authorities can use to develop their LHEES. However, this methodology is not mandatory allowing local authorities flexibility to respond to local variations.

Multi-year funding for local authorities to resource the development of their LHEES has been agreed in partnership with COSLA and began in 2022/23. This funding could cover, for example, recruitment of an LHEES coordinator or the procurement of technical services from consultants.

The Scottish Government is continuing to support local authorities to improve their knowledge and skills to develop their LHEES and are working with Zero Waste Scotland to provide on-going capacity building support including workshops, online video tutorials and one to one support. To help identify where local authorities would benefit from further support and understand progress the Scottish Government is in regular contact with local authorities including through quarterly monitoring and in-person visits. The Scottish Government also facilitates regular forums focused on key issues local authorities face in developing their LHEES, for example engagement with utilities and data.

The Scottish Government is working to embed LHEES and area-based approaches across its heat decarbonisation programme. We are working with wider stakeholders to align current and future delivery and funding programmes with LHEES to support a strategic approach to the decarbonisation of heat reflecting local contexts and tailoring support to specific needs of communities.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website . The spreadsheets include a wide range of information including details of the organisation/individuals Ministers met along with the subject discussed.

Scottish Government officials work closely with the Scottish Women's Rights Centre (SWRC) to help progress Equally Safe (Scotland’s strategy to eradicate and prevent violence against women and girls), and through the grant monitoring process for the Victim Centred Approach Fund, for which SWRC are a beneficiary.

Scottish Government officials and Ministers meet with NUS on a regular basis to discuss ongoing policy development and issues impacting Scotland’s student population. Meetings are typically scheduled as part of an ongoing series of engagements, however ad hoc meetings may occur to discuss specific issues or concerns. There are not typically clear ‘agreed outcomes’, rather a continued discussion.

Meetings as part of steering groups, working groups and forums which NUS were members/in attendance:

Purpose Built Student Accommodation Steering Group, met on 6 July 2021, 6 August 2021, 14 October 2021, 5 May 2022, 6 June 2022, 3 March 2023, 24 March 2023.

Student Accommodation Group, met on 24 February 2021, 25 March 2021, 13 May 2021, 3 June 2021, 24 June 2021, 26 August 2021, 23 September 2021, 4 November 2021, 25 July 2022, 6 October 2022

Disability Related Student Support Review Steering Group, met on 1 June 2021

Student Support Stakeholder Engagement Group, met on 10 August 2021, 16 September 2021, 28 October 2021, 2 December 2021, 24 January 2022, 23 February 2022, 29 April 2022, 15 June 2022, 25 August 2022, 10 November 2022

Covid Recovery Group, as a full Covid Recovery Group member, NUS representatives attended meetings over the period of June 2021 – Oct 2022. The purpose of these meetings was to discuss covid response measures and the development and implementation of guidance for the FE/HE sector. Stakeholder attendance was optional.

Meetings with NUS and SG/SAAS/SFC officials specifically :

Meeting with NUS to discuss support for Ukrainian students and the establishment of the International Students Emergency Hardship Fund (meeting to raise awareness of support being offered), 14 April 2022

Introductory meeting between the NUS President and (then) interim Chief Executive of SAAS, 18 March 22

Meeting with NUS on the Scottish Government consultation on residency eligibility in Further and Higher Education. Officials met with a range of stakeholders who had a vested interest in the meeting. NUS were planning on submitting a formal response to the consultation, 8 March 2023

Introductory meeting between Director of ALS and NUS, 20 February 2023

Regular meetings between NUS, SG, SAAS and SFC, met on 10 May 21, 23 June 2021, 4 August 2021, 6 September 2021, 8 October 2021, 18 November 2021

Postgraduate Review - Stakeholder Consultation - NUS Feedback, 26 July 2022

Meeting with NUS on the outcomes of the SFC Review, 23 August 2021

Meetings between NUS and Minister:

Quarterly meeting, 18 February 2022

Attending NUS Scotland ‘BROKE’ event, 21 February 2022

Quarterly meeting, 19 May 2022

Spending review meeting, 31 May 2022

Introductory meeting with new NUS Scotland President, Ellie Gomersall, 21 September 2022

Quarterly meeting, 28 September 2022

Quarterly meeting, 6 December 2022

Meeting to discuss NUS Scotland ‘Cost of Survival’ report findings, 22 March 2023